Keen track attack dak-dak driver Glenn Torrens almost dies of embarrassment when his VW spews some oil
I’m proud of the cars I resurrect, rebuild, restore and modify. Over the years, I’ve built several cars for weekend motorsport and I’m a staunch supporter/participant at hill-climbs and tarmac/airport sprint and drag race events in NSW and – when I can scrape-up a few spare dollars – in Qld and Vic, too.
So please accept my sincere apologies for dropping some oil on the track at Unique Cars’ recent Rolling 30 event at Sydney Motorsport Park. Those that were there will remember that, like many others in their street cars, I was having a great time running around the track in my little brown VW until, coming into one of the corners, my mirrors filled with smoke.
I instantly clutched-in, switched off my motor and veered onto the grass but as I was already ‘committed’ to that corner when I saw the smoke, I was in the braking zone. The amount of oil I dropped wasn’t much more than a few tablespoons – it didn’t even show on my dipstick when I checked later – but oil is oil and I’m sorry we all had to stand around doing nothing while the track was cleaned and checked.
The oil-down was caused by a split rocker cover gasket. In a VW, these gaskets are old-school low-tech cork but unlike, for instance, an old Holden six or V8, the gasket doesn’t sit up on a cast-in ridge on the edge of the head that ‘directs’ the oil as it runs back to the sump. No, in a VW, even the tiniest hint of damage to the gasket (and I’ve never seen one split like mine) means an instant leak. And in the case of my car, that means oil onto hot extractors and mirrors full of smoke.
I guess that’s lucky in a way as the tell-tale smoke meant I was aware of a problem, and off the track, in seconds, not out there for another two laps spraying oil all over the track… anyway, sorry everybody.
Apart from that, I reckon Rolling 30 was a great day and I’m looking forward to the next!
I’ve had similar – but not quite the same – problem happen before. Five years ago I towed my yellow hill-climb Bug to Victoria to run in the Geelong Sprints and two hill climbs. Prior to traveling more than 1000km interstate, I’d serviced/prepared my VW at home – including fitting fresh rocker cover gaskets – run it around the block for a test-drive, driven it onto the trailer, and after towing it to Vic, started it on the trailer and driven it off, driven a sighting-in lap of the course, warmed it up in the pits and got ready for my timed run… No oil leaks.
But about 20 seconds into my run, there was oil everywhere. Of course I pulled off the track ASAP. On investigation trackside, I found a skewed rocker cover gasket that hadn’t revealed its evil intent during all the low-speed testing and driving, but with warm oil and the 6000rpm runs of racing, and hence more oil being delivered up the pushrods in the motor, it spewed oil.
Of course, fitting another $2 gasket fixed the problem but it was a very embarrassing moment.
What do you reckon? From a McDonald’s run to motorsport, what’s the most embarrassing moment you’ve had in your classic car? Tell us your story at uniquecars@primecreative.com.au.
From Unique Cars #471, Oct/Nov 2022